Joe Henderson (tenor sax), Kenny Dorham (trumpet), McCoy Tyner (piano), Butch Warren (bass) and Pete La Roca (drums). From the album Page One (1963).
This jazz standard is well known by musicians, but not so much by the general public. Since it has a very simple harmonic structure, it is usually played by students and in jam sessions. The author is Kenny Dorham and he wrote it because bossa nova was in vogue at that time and even hard bop musicians played this kind of music.
However, despite the title, the theme is not a blues nor does it necessarily have to be played with bossa rhythm. When McCoy Tyner played it again 35 years later, he did it without any bossa elements. Dorham never recorded it again, although Henderson kept it in his repertoire. The trumpeter Art Farmer also added it to his repertoire in the mid-60s and he continued to play it 30 years later.
Kenny Dorham
The theme is played by Henderson and Dorham in unison with a bossa rhythm, and has an attractive melody. The first one to make his solo is Dorham, who at first is very faithful to the melody, but then develops his own ideas. Henderson follows him with a melodic line totally different from the original theme, playing phrases with unusual structures. Then Tyner enters using different resources, since the simplicity of the theme lends itself to it. After that, Warren comes in with an inventive and very well built solo, and finally the group re-exposes the theme.
